Make My Worlds Collied Fouth Wall
by SamAzoth42
Summary: When two friends are thrown into the past, when time repeats itself...  Modern day Edward ends up going into his "past" with two girls that seem to be mysteries in and of themselfs, how will he help his brother? How does he get back home?
1. Chapter 1: Brothers

A/N:: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist. I do own my characters though. Please read and review!

Chapter One: Brothers

"Attention Students, we have a new student. A Mr. Edward Elric." Tonia glanced up. Where had she heard that name? Christy gasped. "What?" Tonia whispered, leaning closer to her best friend.

"He looks just like him! He even has his name!" Christy said, practically jumping our of her seat. "What?"Tonia asked again, this time turning to face the new kid.

He had long blonde hair and almost gold eyes. He looked like an Anime character with those huge bright eyes. They seemed sad, as if they had seen grief. _That's it!_ Tonia thought remembering the boy.

Edward Elric, the Full Metal Alchemist. _But how could this be? He had been a teenager during World War Two! He would have to be over eighty! Yet this Edward Elric is only... sixteen!_

"Um, call me Ed," Edward said, glancing around the class. He didn't want to be here, but his father had forced him. He wanted to stay with his brother, he was worried about him.

"Well, Ed, you can take a seat behind Christy. Christy raise your hand." A light haired girl eagerly raised her hand. He was smiling brightly in contrast to Ed's tired and pretty much fake smile.

As he sat down, he pulled out his grandfathers watch. It had been passed down the family and he wasn't supposed to get it until his older brother, Will, gave it to him, but he had stolen it for good luck. It had the insignia of a loin with, almost, a rope strangling it. It was stained and old, but Ed liked it a lot. He would sometimes seal it from William just to look at it. When Edward opened the cover, he could just see where 3 OCT 11 had been carved out. Ed didn't know what made this date special or even if it was a date, but there had to be some kind of important reason. Ed knew this.

Ed sat the entire class playing with the watch, waiting for the bell to ring and for him to be able to visit his sick brother.

"Hey! Where are you off to, New Kid?" Ed turned around. The girl, Christy, was running to catch up with him. "What's it to you?" Ed retorted rudely, turning back around.

"Well, its nothing, I guess... but I just figured you'd need a friend for your first day here!" Christy said skipping to Ed's walking.

"Just leave me alone! God! I'm not even gunna be here for all that long. I'm leaving when Al gets better."

"Who's Al? What happened to him?"

There was silence then, "Go away..."

Ed leaned over the desk, slowly writing his name and his time of entrance on the sign in sheet. He wanted to see his brother, but was scared of what would be his condition.

Would it be worst? Would it be better? _Please be better!_ Ed thought as he put the pen down. As he walked down the hall, there were announcements on the P.A. and people would push past him to get to others. Ed hated hospitals, they always smelled like sick people and the idea of dealing with death everyday weird-ed him out.

Alphonse was in room 309. Ed had memorized the route to the room as if he were being kidnapped. Walk straight to your left from the sign in desk, stop at the stairs, thirty-three steps to the third floor , turn left again, then right nine doors.

Opening the door, the First thing that Ed noticed was how boring and cold the room was. When he was here the night before, there was a lot of people hustling an bustling in and out of the room. Now that the crowds were gone, it was dead.

Ed walked into the quiet room.

_BEEP... BEEP... BEEP..._

There was the heart rate thingy going at it in the corner and I.V. fluids dripping into a fifteen year old kid's arm. There were bruises and cuts all over his body, but he was just laying there. _Sleeping!_

Ed sat down by the boy's bed, "Al, I'm so sorry... I didn't mean for you to get hurt..." The boy remained silent, breathing in and out slowly. "this is all my fault... I should be here, not you... Why did it have to be you?" The boy's deep sleep remained undisturbed. "I have to fix you Al. Somehow..."

_BEEP...BEEP...BEEP..._

"I got these things for you. I know how much you like them... and I don't think that you are too old to have them, no matter what I have said in the past." Ed reached into his backpack, pulling out a lava lam and one of those spinning shape nightlights. He placed one on either side of his bed. "This way, no matter how you wake up, you'll see the light!" The brother just laid there, not moving except the slight twitch of his chest. Ed closed his eyes, "I love you Al.


	2. Chapter 2: Comotose

A/N:: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist, I do own my characters though. Please read and review!

Chapter Two: Comatose

"No, I don't know where he went... No! I'm no stalker!...Shut up... All I said was that he looked like him, not that I wanted to have his babies!" Christy sat on her porch talking on her cell. She was catting with Tonia about the new kid.

It was night out and the moon was beautiful, it was past eleven, but she didn't care. It was also pretty warm for October, so it was beautiful weather to gossip.

"Do you think Al is his brother, like in FMA? I hope that he's not his lover! EWW! YAOI!... But I guess that is how it would be... no one is that good looking and straight."

Christy looked down the street. "Hey Tonia, do you know if the hospital is having a light show?" There was a laugh on the other line, then a reply. "Yeah, I guess not." Christy stared at the hospital, watching the lights fling in and out of the windows, almost like electricity, but slow and red. It was almost as beautiful as the night.

If Alphonse were awake he would have been able to see this beautiful event. The lamp and light, that had been given to him by Ed, were flashing erratically. The lights were creating symbols and signs on the wall that were a little more than just randomness. They were forming hexes and transmutation circles. They were complicated and dangerous, but why and how these fits of magic were occurring, as someone famous once said, "the night will only know."

The seal covered the entire room like a blanket, shapes spinning and combining. Finally the whole room went dark.

Alphonse opened his eyes and lethargically sat up. It was quiet in the hospital room and the light and lamp weren't working.

"Edward?" Al asked, rubbing his eyes, slowly taking in his surroundings. What was he doing in a hospital? "Brother? Where are you?" Al felt like he had been sleeping for days. Standing up, he trudged to the door.

"Where is your brother?" Hoenheim asked, not taking his eyes off of his book, _Alchemy and the Ways of Life_. He was preparing for the class that he was covering at the local college.

Will looked up from his iPod, he was listening to _Night of the Hunter_ by 30 Seconds to Mars. "I don't know Dad, he visited Alphonse earlier today, so he's probably sulking in his room or in the basement."

Hoenheim looked at the clock, eleven. "Ah, well lets hit the hay. William, will you go tell your brother?" Will groaned, first of all, he hated being called William and second of all, "Why can't you do it? I don't want to talk to him, he'll be cranky." Hoenheim gave him a stern look that said 'I will get cranky and probably hit you if you don't do what I say' and Will pushed himself out of the armchair.

_Knock Knock_

"Ed, pull yourself together and get to bed," Will leaned against the door to Ed's room. There was silence then a grunt. "Will. Leave me alone. I was sleeping... you jerk." Ed's voice was groggy and he almost slurred the words.

"Good, go back to sleep then," Will walked away, heading to his own room. Will's room was right next to Alphonse's room. Al's door was closed and all of his stuff was shoved against it. He hadn't even had the chance to unpack...

Will sighed and opened his own door. " Night Alphonse..."

"Night William."

Wide eyed, Will turned around to the voice of his littlest brother. No one? The hallway was completely empty, but Will knew that there had been a voice... wasn't there? Will shook his head, he must have imagined it, his brother was at Westmister Hospital in a coma. He took one last look in the hallway, then shut his door and went to bed.


	3. Chapter 3: Mystery

A/N:: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist or any music artists listed, I do own my characters though. Please read and review!

Chapter Three: The Mystery

Ed groaned as he pushed the pillow over his face. Why did Will have to wake him up? It was hard enough getting to sleep without actually having to worry about staying asleep. His room was a mess. Clothes, clean and dirty, were strewn all across his floor. Ed's things from the move had yet to be put away. Some of the stuff was overflowing from the boxes in a futile attempt to unpack. The only thing that was in its place was a picture of the entire family. It sat on the shelf that was connected to his bed.

Ed hadn't wanted to move but after his mom, Trisha, had died, he was forced to "start over". _Great deal that helped me... _He thought, groping blindly for his i-Pod. _Now Al is in a Coma and it's all my fault..._

Feeling the cold metal on his skin, he seized his music player. Lately all he had been listening to was _L'arc~en~ciel, Asian Kung Fu Generation _and_ Brothers _by Vic Mignona. He felt that that particular song really fit his whole life. (A/N:: if you don't already know these people, you should look them up. The first two are groups the last one is the song to this chapter.)

"Ed?"

Ed froze, his hand automatically hitting the pause button on the iPod. That couldn't have been...

"Ed, its me Al, wake up!"

What the...? Pushing himself up form the bed, Ed glared around the room. At the foot of the bed was Alphonse, bruised, beat up, and smiling sadly.

Christy rolled around on her bed. Her mom had told her to go to sleep about two hours ago, but she just couldn't shut her eyes. She kept thinking about Edward, and not that _Twilight_ Pansy either. Listening for her parents, she picked up her cell phone and dialed a few numbers. Getting out of bed she went to her laptop and turned it on. While it hummed awake, Christy put the phone to her ear.

On the other line there was a yawn then a curt, "Hello?"

"Tonia, listen, I know that you were sleeping but I need to think out loud and I know that you are the only one that will listen to my crazy banter," Christy said clicking the internet.

"God! Christy, its almost midnight, can't it wait til tomorrow?"

"Technically, it will be tomorrow in like two minutes, so will you listen to me?"

"Yeah, whatever... What do you got?"

"You know that Anime, Full Metal Alchemist?" Christy asked leaning the phone against her shoulder and ear.

"That's the show where the main character looks like Ed? Right?"

"Yeah! He even has his name!"

There was silence on the other side, then, "...and you are going where with this?"

"That's just it!" Christy exclaimed, clicking her first choice.

"... Okay? You just lost me Chris."

Christy sighed then hit the print button and went back to click another topic on the web search.

"What are you even doing Christy? Why are you obsessed with this kid?" Tonia asked a little sadly.

"Don't you think that it's strange that the new kid has this fictional, sexy body, and he knows someone named Al? I think that that he is his brother honestly..."

"Chris-"

"No listen, why do you think that there are those disclosure claims at the beginning of books? You know! The ones that say that the places, characters and story are fictional and that any likeness is purely coincidental? What if Hiromu Arakawa saw another world and wrote it down! Or maybe she saw into a parallel universe or the future!"

"What, like Inkheart?"

"What?"

"Uh... in that book, Characters live in one world and are brought out of it into our world... They inhabited a world that the author seemed to have mysteriously seen into..." Tonia explained.

Christy bit her bottom lip, "Do you think that's what happened?"

"No, but is that what you meant?"

_Click Click_ "Maybe..."

Tonia sighed on the other end, "So what are you going to do?"

"Probably ask Edward about it."

"Right well, I am going back to bed now, talk to you in the morning," Tonia said hanging up.

"Right." Christy closed her phone and hit print a second time. Out came two photos and a page of words.


	4. Chapter 4: Truth

A/N:: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist but I do own my characters. Please Read and Review!

Chapter Four: The Truth

"What are you... dong here?" Edward asked, "You're supposed to be in the hospital."

Alphonse stood at the foot of the bed looking at his bare feet and twiddling his thumbs nervously. Ed laughed weakly, "This is a dream right, I am asleep?"

Alphonse shook his head, "This is no dream, its unlikely that we could both be having the same dream brother..."

"Then, h-how are you here? You are in a Coma," Ed said, inching closer towards his little brother. "I am not in a Coma Ed, I am dieing and I need your help."

"What?" Ed whispered stopping abruptly. _He's dieing? Was it my fault? How can I help? Why is he here now? Is Alphonse some kind of ghost haunting me? _All these thoughts were making Edward rather dizzy. He was only sixteen! He couldn't handle this, he didn't have the experience!

"Ed?" Alphonse was now sitting right next to Ed, supporting him with his cold hands.

"How am I supposed to help you? I 'm just a kid. Go to Dad, Al, he'll help you..."

"No! It has to be you,Ed! You're special!"

"No I'm not," Ed denied, shaking his head.

"You have been having those dreams right? I have..." Al said hugging his older brother.

"Dreams?"

"The ones with you and me. You are wearing that red coat and I'm in some kind of armor. There is some kind of weird magic..."

"It's not magic, it is the science of Alchemy..." Ed corrected, shaking his head, "Dad teaches the stuff at his work, remember?"

"Not like this, you know that Ed, and that's why you have to be the one that helps me."

Ed was shaking, partly because of Al's cold hands and partly because he was scared. He was scared because he knew that Al was right.

"It's equivalent exchange, brother. You hurt me, you save me." Alphonse stated bluntly. He was looking Ed right in his golden eyes. Ed started to tear up and quickly wiped it away. "What do I have to do?"

Al smiled brightly.

Ed opened his eyes. What a dream, he thought sleepily. He looked at the clock, time for school. As if programed, Ed pulled on his red and black uniform and packed his backpack. Grabbing his hair brush, he haphazardly yanked it through his long blonde hair, tightly pulling it into a low ponytail.

Trudging out his door, he caught sight of Alphonse's notebook. Al would always write "secret" notes to the family when they were fighting with each other.

Ed glared at it accusingly. What was it doing out of his boxes? It was sitting right on the top and had a piece of paper sticking out the sides.

"What the...?"

Pulling the slip out he read the list, it was in Alphonse's handwriting!

talk to the Girls, they will know about us. don't ask how.

Don't tell William, could turn out badly.

take the watch, it's the link.

Staring at the list, Ed's eyes opened in recognition. It wasn't a dream.


	5. Chapter 5: Tears

A/N:: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist but I do own my characters. Please read and Review!

Chapter Five: Her Tears

Shoving the notebook into his backpack, Edward galloped down the stairs.

"Morning, Ed," Hoenheim said glancing up from the morning newspaper. "Morning Dad, what's for breakfast?"

"Don't know, it's Will's turn to cook."

"Cereal then," Ed grumbled, taking a box from the counter. These things too, had not been put away properly. The house was a mess.

After finishing breakfast, Ed started to walk to school, only to be interrupted.

"Hey! Ed! I didn't know you lived over here!" A girl with red hair skipped up to Ed.

"Morning... um..." Ed stared at her face, trying to match a name. The girl smiled, "Tonia."

"Tonia, sorry. Yeah, I live right around the corner."

"Cool, I live around the other corner, same street." Tonia said grinning again.

There was silence while they walked together. Then, "Have you ever heard of that Anime, Full Metal Alchemist?" Ed turned his head to face Tonia. She was looking at him expectantly.

"Uh, afraid not, I w don't really watch television."

"Oh."

Wow, listen to that awkward silence.

"I guess it's just a coincidence, you don't sound like him anyway, plus you're too sad," Tonia said finally, she was looking up at the sky.

A few seconds later, _Teenagers_ by My Chemical Romance played loudly. Tonia jumped and then pulled out a small cell phone. She flicked it open, "Orange?"

_Orange?_ Ed thought, confused.

"Mmmmhmm. Yep, I'm coming..." Tonia's eyes darted in Ed's direction. "Uh, he's coming too, don't worry." She then closed her phone.

"Who was that?" Ed asked, even though he knew that it wasn't his place to ask.

"Christy. The girl that sits in front of you."

"Yeah?"

"You know..." Tonia glanced sideways at Ed, then looked straight ahead again. "She thinks that you are him."

Ed looked ahead, they were almost at the school, just a few more blocks, "Who?"

"Edward Elric."

"What?" Ed turned to look at Tonia, he had stopped and that forced her to stop as well.

"In that Anime, Full Metal Alchemist, there is a shortish blonde kid named Edward Elric. He has a brother named Alphonse and his soul is stuck in a suit of armor. You have a brother don't you?" Tonia was looking right into Ed's shocked eyes.

"How did you know about that?"

"It's on Adult Swim on Saturdays-"

"Not that!" Edward shouted, "the armor!" Tonia stepped back, scared of this angry boy. He was bigger than her both in height and in muscle. "Is this some kind of cruel joke?" Edward steppe menacingly towards her.

"I..It was on the show..." Tonia whispered, stepping back. Could I run from him? Tonia asked herself when he took yet another step towards her.

"You're lying. It's impossible!" He wasn't shouting anymore, but was growling the words through his teeth.

"I... I didn't mean to..." Tonia was tearing up. _Stupid tears,_ she thought,_ why are you coming out now?_ Edward's eyes were boring into Tonia's. There were a few students who were watching, obvoulsy on their way to school. Noticing the kid's Ed grunted, "I will talk to you later." Then walked away, leaving Tonia and her tears to spill onto the street.


	6. Chapter 6: Explinations

A/N:: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist but I do own my characters. Please read and Review!

Chapter Six: The Explanations 

"Tonia! Finally! I thought you'd never... whats wrong?" Christy ran over to her best friend.

"He... he was scary... I didn't mean to make him upset..." Tonia whispered, crying again.

"Who?" Christy asked, turning defensive. "Who made you cry ? They're going to pay!" Tonia shook her head, "Never mind, come on, lets get to class..."

Christy hated when Tonia cried, not only because she was uncomfortable around tears but it always made Tonia look weak, even though she wasn't. Seeing her best friend's wall crumble always freaked her out. She would find out which boy made her cry and in turn make him do the same.

"You're Christy right?" Christy turned around in her seat, behind her was Edward. Blushing, she nodded and shifted in her seat to more comfortably talk to him. "Do you know of an Anime called Full- something Alchemist?"

"Christy's heart jumped a little, "Yeah, Full Metal Alchemist. You look just like the main character, did you know that?"

"No, I didn't, but I was talking with Tonia this morning and she said things like that too."

"You were talking with her this morning?" Ed nodded, watching her face go from shocked to frowning. "And you made her cry?" Edward thought about lying, but changed his mind. "I didn't mean to," He answered honestly.

Christy balled her fists. Why did it have to be him, why not Tayler. Tayler Manson was a boy that would always pick on Tonia. Christy had the idea that he might like Tonia, but they both thought he was creepy and stalker-ish. She wouldn't have minded punching his brains out.

But Edward? No, she didn't think she could even yell at him.

"Do you like the show?"

_What? _The question seemed out of nowhere until she remembered how he had started their conversation.

"I guess. No! I mean, I really love the show, the drama, the comedy, all of it. It's an Anime that any Otaku should should watch." Christy watched confusion leak its way onto Ed's face.

"Miss. Brimwood, we are in the middle of Algebra, and unless you are helping Ed catch up on quadratics, I suggest that you face forward." Mr. Sailor said. He was one of the coolest teachers, even though Christy hated math.

"I'm sorry! My fault!" Ed and Christy both hollered.

As Christy turned her body around to face the front, Ed leaned forward. "Meet me during lunch, I want to show you something." Christy's face turned red (again) and she fingered though her papers, uncovering the stuff that she had printed out last night. _What does he want to show me?_

A/N:: Hey! Sorry that this is so short. . Want to give a shout out to my 6th grade teacher! The bestest teacher in the world. Mr. Sailor! WHOOOOT! I doubt that he goes here, but I had to add him to my stories at least once! Yay!

Thanks for commenting!


	7. Chapter 7: Notes

A/N:: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist but I do own my characters. Please read and Review!

Chapter Seven: The Notes 

Tonia glanced over as Ed and Christy were whispering to each other. Her heart was beating loud enough for her to hear in her own ears. _Don't hurt her_, Tonia thought to herself.

When Mr. Sailor pulled her out of her thoughts, she looked at the board that was now full of note. _Woops!_ She thought, clicking led to the tip of her green pencil. She quickly started copying the words off the board onto her notebook. Her eyes grazing over the words describing and defining the numbers in quadratic formulas.

Shifting her eyes form the board to her notes, she gasped loudly. Kids all around her looked at her. Noticing this, Tonia shook her head, "I copied the numbers wrong! I'll have to start over!" Th kids shrugged and shook their heads and went about their business. Tonia grabbed her paper in bother hands and re-read what she had written.

You have to stay with Edward Elric. That is the only way that Alphonse will survive. Remember 3,10, 11 o'clock. You have to stay with Edward Elric... It continued like this for the rest of the page. What did it all mean?

The rest of the morning classes went by with almost the same results. Tonia would try to write the notes being given, but all that came out were instructions. Know Dreams; Remember 3, 10, 11 o'clock. Fight Sin, Protect Alphonse. They didn't make too much sense. What was with the numbers and why wasn't she writing what she thought she was?

Lunch time. _I need to tell Christy!_ Tonia thought, putting her pencil in her bag, collecting all the weird notes. Skipping stairs at a time, Tonia made her way to the lunch room in the basement. There were already a few tables already full, but she wasn't looking for an empty table, she was looking for- "Edward!" Tonia gasped as she bumped into him.

"I need to talk to you. Sorry I made you cry." With that, the blonde new kid pulled Tonia to the roof of the school.

It was windy and Tonia had to push her papers close to her chest to keep them from blowing away. Finally looking around the roof, she noted that they weren't the only two up there.

"Tonia!"

"Christy!" Tonia ran up to her best friend.

Ed kicked a bunch of boxes over and sat down on one. "Alrighty, lets talk you two."

A/N:: So sorry that this is so short... I don't have very many chapters ready so I need the extra time to write it out ^.^ sorry! Thank you for reviewing! It really helps me, and if you have any ideas as to where this story can go, I would love to hear them! I don't know the end yet so it is fun to have others' ideas mix with mine. Makes for a more interesting storytelling experience. . REVIEW!


	8. Chapter 8: Meeting

A/N:: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist or wiki but I do own my characters. Please read and Review!

Chapter Eight: The Meeting

Tonia grabbed on of the boxes that Ed had knocked over and sat down next to Christy. "How do you know about them?"

"Know what?" Tonia asked cradling her stuff closer to her chest. Ed glared at the two girls, "Stop messing around, the dreams, my dreams. How do you know about them?" Ed punched one of the fallen boxes.

"I don't know-"Christy started.

"Dreams?"

Both sets of eyes turned to the redhead. "Yes my dreams. Alphonse is in Armor, I am donning a red coat, I use Alchemy like magic..." Ed said as Tonia shuffled though the papers that she had been holding.

"What are those?" Christy asked leaning over Tonia's shoulder.

"I wrote them in my classes. I didn't mean to, the words just invaded all of my papers. I was trying to write notes, but this is all that came out. It was weird cuz I thought for sure that I was writing what was on the board, but I wasn't. I wanted to show them to you. They don't make a lick of sense, like I can understand some of it and I can kinda get at other parts, but most of it doesn't click...But! 'Know Dreams' was one of the messages that were written..." Tonia was talking fast and shaking as she shifted through her notes.

Edward's eyes widened, they will know about us, don't ask how. Is that what Al meant?

"'Know the dreams, they will let you know more than you know, both have it. Remember three, ten, eleven o'clock.' That's what it said during English, that and 'Fight Sin', whatever that means..." Tonia said putting the papers down.

"Oh yeah!" Christy said, reaching into her pockets, "I printed these out last night." Handing them to Ed, she added "Its your dream?"

Ed opened the folded pieces of paper and started reading. _Full Metal Alchemist_? _Wikipedia_? After a few seconds, that Tonia thought were insanely long, Ed started to laugh."

"Why are you laughing?"

Ed tried to pull himself together, but couldn't, "All this time, and I could have just watched my dreams on television. HA! What a load of -"

~FLASH~

"Whats going on?" Christy screamed covering her face from the bright light.

"Is it a bomb?" Tonia asked dropping to the ground. Ed grabbed Tonia's shoulder, partly to comfort her, partly to keep his balance in the blinding light. Christy's hand grazed over his then...

_Darkness_

_Black Hands_

_all the same _

_nothing new_

_a door_

_darkness_

_knowledge _

_understanding_

_Alchemy_

_THE GATE_


	9. Chapter 9: Beast

A/N:: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist but I do own my characters. Please read and Review!

Chapter Nine: The Beast

Edward coughed and sat up, _What happened? _The room was smoky or steamy, he couldn't tell... wait, room? Ed looked up and sure enough there were tiles on a ceiling. They had a design on them that looked like some kind of witchcraft... _Alchemy! _

"Edward." It was whispered, a man's voice.

"Who...?" Ed looked around. Christy was laying over Ed's legs, she hadn't regained conscious. Tonia was on her back scowling. Her eyes were open bu she wasn't sitting up.

"It's me Edward, don't you remember me?" That too was whispered. Ed pulled his head around and gasped. There at the edge of the circle that encased the kids, was a man, although not like any man that he had ever seen before. He had the face of a human but the body of an animal. His face was upside down as if he were attached to a bear backwards, the head leaned over the shoulders. The man talked in whispers and now it made sense why. What kind of creature was he?

_Chimera!_

"It's me, Tucker. Shou Tucker," The beast whispered. He was reaching towards Edward yearningly.

"what do you want with me?" Ed asked trying not to freak out. Christy was still sleeping and he needed her to be awake!

"I needed to brig you here. I had a gut feeling, and Nina told me."

"N-Nina?" Christy murmured rubbing her blue eyes. As she sat up, Ed could feel the blood rush back to his legs. Tonia sat up staring at the thing that called itself Tucker. Her face was horror stricken, eyes wide and hands covering her mouth.

"Yes, I know that she would come back, I just had to giver her enough time," Tucker whispered happily.

"Come back?" Ed squinted around the room. _Might as well keep this creep talking, find a way out of here._

"Yes, she was out of it for a long while. Almost four years, but now she's back." _There's the door! On the far left, right behind Tucker. _

Ed grabbed Christy's and Tonia's hand, running straight for the door. Tucker gasped and fell over.

"No! Wait, you mustn't!" Tucker whispered scrambling to his feet. As they gout to the door, Ed burst through the stairs. "RUN!" He yelled, letting go of the girls' hands.

A/N:: I have to admit, when I separate the chapters in my notebook, they look bigger! Sorry! Love to hear from you! Review! .


	10. Chapter 10: Price

A/N:: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist but I do own my characters. Please read and Review!

Chapter Ten: The Price

_Where are we?_ Tonia thought as she ran though the streets. They were bustling with people, but they were smiling and talking to each other. Not at all like where she lived in the city. No one would look at you in the eye and if they did, they would get smack mouthed.

And that wasn't the only difference. The cars were old fashioned, having the exhaust pipes running all along the car. The cloths were not quite old fashioned, but they were dull colors unlike the bright red and black school uniforms that the three adorned. The people would stop their conversations and look at them a few pointed.

They ran along the street until Tonia noticed military uniforms ahead, turning into an ally way, the other two followed. They hid, panting behind a pile of rubble.

"Sargent Bloch, you really didn't have to buy me lunch."

"No, its okay Lieutenant Ross, I wanted to."

Ed leaned his head around the pile'o'trash. Satisfied that they weren't noticed too badly, he sighed and leaned back., "Coast is clear."

"Where are we?" Christy asked leaning her head back against the wall.

"I don't know, I just know we had to get out of there.," Edward panted.

_It was Alchemy._ Tonia mouthed. Her heart sped up..._What the? Edward! Christy!_ Tonia mouthed. _I can't talk! _ Tonia realized bringing her hands to her mouth. Dumb tears.

"Those were officers, they must have a station nearby, we need to be careful, we don't belong here," Christy said brushing her chestnut hair our of her face.

"I agree, maybe there is a newspaper or something that can tell us where we are." Edward said looking around the trash again. He stood up and started to walk away. "You two stay here, I'll get the paper and then come back, after that, we can figure out what we're going to do."

Christy nodded and watched him leave. A sob made her turn her head around. "Tonia! Whats wrong?"

Tonia shook her head and clutched her throat. She opened her mouth, but only choke came out.

"You can't breath?" Tonia shook her head. She put her hand over her mouth, shook her head, then pointed at Christy's mouth and nodded.

"I... I don't understand..."

Tonia wiped her eyes and opened her mouth, but no words came out.

"What?"

Tonia shrugged then opened her mouth, mouthing the words, but still no sound.

"You... can't... talk?" Christy asked, realization hitting her like a rock. She lost something...!

"'To obtain, something of equal value must be lost, that is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange...'" Christy whispered, remembering the opening of Full Metal Alchemist. She lost her voice... so what did she gain? Access here... wait! Alchemy! It worked here! "I know where we are!" Christy established, "Amestris!"

A/N:: Again, sorry for the short chapter! I wanted to give a small shout out to Aaron Dismuke. I love him. I am so sad that he was replaced by Maxy-pad... I mean Maxy Whitehead! ^/^ If I were ever to make an Anime I would search the woodworks for him... 3 Review! I'd love to hear from you!


	11. Chapter 11: Rain

A/N:: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist but I do own my characters. Please read and Review!

Chapter Eleven: The Rain

Ed ducked around buildings and cars. Were was he going to find a newspaper. You'd think that they'd be easy to find, but they weren't.

Maybe they sell them in stores, just as Ed thought that, he saw a guy throw a paper into a trash can. Ed made his way to the trash. Reaching in, he pulled out a paper. "Central Time?" Ed read.

"Edward Elric?"

Ed turned around, dropping the paper. Two people stood behind him, too cops. One was a female with short cropped hair and a mole under here left eye. The other was a blonde male that looked like an older version of Ed himself. Both were wearing blue uniforms and shocked faces.

"How...?" the woman asked taking a step forward.

"You're mistaken!" Ed answered, running in the opposite direction.

"Wait!"

After a while, Ed made it back to the ally. Christy was pacing back and forth, muttering to herself, Tonia was taring blankly at the wall opposite, when she saw Ed enter, her face lit up.

"We're in someplace called central," Ed said sliding into sitting position next to Tonia.

"That makes sense! I knew we were in Amestris," Christy said smiling and sitting down. _Amestris?_ Ed thought. He looked at Tonia for some kind of explanation. Tonia smiled and pulled out the Full Metal Alchemist storyline. She had underlined Amestris, Central.

"She can't talk," Christy said sadly, as Ed took the paper from Tonia. _What?_ Ed shot his gaze back up at Tonia. Tonia shrugged, then smiled and mouthed _Read it_.

Ed turned his eyes back to the words. They explained that Amestris was a country that was parallel to London in the real world. It was a palace where Alchemy worked, there were other countries like Ishbal and Xing, bu this was the biggest.

"We're in a different world? I should have guessed," Ed said sarcastically, handing the information back.

"tucker was a character in the show, he lost his body, trying to bring his daughter, Nina, back from an experiment that he had done on her, she ended up dying. He had said something about Nina back there..." Christy said, looking up a the sky, "Its gunna rain, we need to find a roof and some food."

It was raining already. Tonia looked at the sky, she couldn't believe that they were actually going to beg for money.

"You're the most pathetic our of all of us, you can't speak and you can cry on command." Edward had said as he and Christy covered Tonia in dirt and begger-fied her. Now she here she was, sitting on the street, trying to look poor and pathetic. It wasn't hard to look sad.

A few people walked by, barely glancing at her, others asked if she was a circus reject. Dumb humans. People could be so mean sometimes.

"You poor thing. So young and already..."

Tonia looked up, the raid was hitting her face, so she had to blink rapidly to be able to see. She jumped as a dog barked. Blocking the rain with her hands, she looked up. The blurry figure slowly coming into focus.

_Hawkeye!_ Tonia mouthed, recognizing the blonde woman. She had dark brown eyes that were stern but loving. In her hand was and umbrella and a dog leash. Black Hayate was sniffing Tonia's hair contently.

"Come with me, I have some food and shelter for you," she held out her hand. Tonia glanced in the ally behind her, then took Hawkeye's hand. She smiled and helped her up.

"Wait!"

Hawkeye glanced behind Tonia, who also jerked her head around. Ed and Christy ran out of the ally. Christy eyes gaped when she who who she was addressing.

Ed stepped forward, "Please take us with you. We don't have anywhere to go."

"Edward Elric?"

Tonia's gaze darted between the two, how would Hawkeye react? Surprisingly Hawkeye smiled and nodded. "Of course, come with me."


	12. Chapter 12: House

A/N:: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist but I do own my characters. Please read and Review!

Chapter Twelve: The House 

The blonde woman's house was not very big, but could house all four of them, given they would have to share the quest room. Edward walked quietly behind the kind woman. _How had she known my name too?_ Were they actually in a parallel world? When Tonia had shown him the papers, he was still skeptical. How could they be in another world...why?

Alphonse!

Edward stopped, remembering what Al had said to him the night before, _"It's equivalent exchange brother, you hurt me, you save me."_ But how was he to save him here?

"The bathroom is down the hall, and the bedroom is over there. Edward, you will be sleeping on the couch, away from the girls. I'll get the bedding when it's time, for now, let me get you something to eat," the woman leaned down and released the leash on the dog.

Happy to be free, the dog trotted away. Ed's eyes wandered around the room, it was simple, plain tan walls. There were a few photos, a dark haired man and a photo of group of cops.

"Are you a cop?" Ed asked, turning to face the woman.

"I work for the military, but I don't know what a 'cop' is. Don't you remember, Mr. Elric?" The woman crossed her arms over her body.

"How do you know my name?" Edward asked, ignoring the warning look from Tonia.

"You must have lost your memories, just like Alphonse."

"How do you know him? Tell me what's going on!"

It was raining hard outside now, thunder rolling in the background. Black Hayate curled up on Tonia's lap. She was stroking his head, happy for the warmth of his body.

Christy was watching Edward and Hawkeye stand off. Finally she couldn't take it anymore. "Miss Hawkeye, I am sorry, but he isn't the same Edward, he is just his look alike."

"How do you know my name?" This time it was Hawkeye's question.

"I can't tell you, I am sorry. You wouldn't believe me anyway," Christy whispered looking at her dirty feet.

_Yeah, that and her entire perception of reality would be altered._ Tonia thought to herself, caressing the black and white dog on her lap.

"Well... I am not big on secrets in this house, but... you must have your reasons," Hawkeye said waling to the kitchen and pulling out plates. "And you may call me Riza if you wish."

A/N:: Will you hit me if I said that I was sorry for the shortness again? ^.^''


	13. Chapter 13: Dream

A/N:: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist but I do own my characters. Please read and Review!

Chapter Thirteen: The Dream

"So... What are we going to do now?" Christy asked, laying on the bed next to Tonia, "Do we just stay here with Riza? Do we confront Mustang, what?"

Tonia shrugged, _How am I supposed to know?_ It was still raining! _This is just like we always wanted, _Tonia mouthed, _we wanted to be in a story and now we are! Though this isn't how I imagined it..._

"What?" Christy asked, turning to face Tonia. The redhead shook her head, _never mind._

_Pata pat pat patta pat pat pattapat, _the rain was lulling Tonia to sleep, the steady beat against the window pane.

She opened her eyes. Did she fall asleep? She was in a different position than she remembered. She turned her head to face Christy. "Christy?" Tonia asked, "Where are you?" Tonia pushed her legs out from the covers to the cold wooden floor.

Rubbing her eyes, she walked to the door.

"What?" Tonia was standing in a musty warehouse, light was seeping in from the holes in the ceiling. "Where?"

CRASH!

Tonia jumped and turned around.

"This way soldiers."

There was smoke everywhere, but there was the distinct sound of heavy foot steps. Tonia took a step towards the debris, the door had been broken down and there were men in blue and black uniforms hustling about the rubble.

"Um, excuse me..." Tonia said, stepping timidly over the broken wood, trying not to cut her bare feet. "Can any of you tell me where I am?"

"This way," A man said rushing to the front of the pack.

"Mustang?" Tonia asked stopping in her tracks. The man with dark hair didn't seem to notice her and continued to move forward.

"Wait!" Tonia hollered, following him.

"This place is creepy..." Tonia whispered walking closer to Mustang. Suddenly he jumped around the corner, fingers ready, then he continued walking.

"What are we looking for?... HELLO?" Tonia stopped as a soldier passed through her... like literally _through her body._

"What the...?" More and more continued on their way, ignoring the laws of physics like champs.

"AHHHH!"

Tonia turned around, W_ho was that? _Mustang and company turned sharply, then started running.

Locks.

Tonia was in a room with tiny doors, stacked, one on top of the other, all padlocked. One near the bottom creaked open.

Tonia edged closer, then stopped and turned around. There was a man with stark white hair and an operating apron, he was pulling a girl by her hair. She was passed out and tied up with zip ties; her mouth was duct taped.

Looking at the girl, Tonia gasped and fell backwards, _That's me!_

"Now, now, lets have those military dogs try to find you... heh heh heh.." The man had a creamy voice, but a dark look. He lifted the Tonia-look-a-like into the open door.

"Nighty night."

Tonia blinked and she was in the box, unable to move, watching the light disappear with the closing of the door.

"NOOO!" Tonia yelled, muffled by the duct tape. All went dark and it became hard to breath, then...

"Tonia! Wake up! Whats wrong?" Christy was shaking Tonia awake. She was crying bitterly and shaking. When Christy finally came into focus, she hugged her like there was no one else in the world.

"It's okay, Tonia, it was just a dream... What happened, you can tell me," Christy said rubbing Tonia's back tenderly. Tonia shook her head, _I can't remember, I'm just scared..._

A/N:: seriously, I am running out of chapters to give you people, give me ideas! ... will it help if I promise you a drawing of your choice? No yaoi and it has to be pg13.


	14. Chapter 14: Fit

A/N:: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist but I do own my characters. Please read and Review!

Chapter Fourteen: Her Fit

Ed stretched his arms, _What a great night's sleep! Especially given the circumstances. _Now they could figure out what they were going to do and how to get back. There is always a plan.

"How did you sleep, Ed?" Riza was brushing her hair up.

Ed put the blankets that he was folding down, "Fine, thank you."

"I am going into town today to get you three less gaudy clothes, I need you to get the girls up and be ready to go before I get back. We're going to see the General."

Ed frowned, but did as he was told. Bounding up the stairs, he knocked on their door.

"Hold on!"

Ed leaned against the door and said, "Riza says that our clothes are gaudy and that we are going to see the General when she gets us new ones..."

With a jerk Tonia opened the door and Ed fell backwards. Tonia yelped as Ed crushed her. "Just like an Anime!" Christy laughed, clutching her sides.

Ed hastily rolled off Tonia who was blushing madly and covering her legs. "I'm sorry..." Edward mumbled blushing at the awkwardness of the situation.

Christy jumped off the bed and walked to her distraught best friend. Laughing, she held out her hand, "Wow, Ed," She laughed, "Making a move already?"

"I didn't mean to!" Ed yelled standing up, brushing himself off.

"Yeah, okay..." Christy said, giving him a disapproving look, then breaking out into the giggles.

"What's so funny up there?" Riza asked, calling from the bottom of the stairs.

"Nothing!" Both Ed and Christy yelled.

The three sat around the living room thinking. What were they going to do? Black Hayate seemed to have taken a liking to Tonia and was playing a small game of catch with her. "So... What are we going to do? Do we have any plans for after we meet with Mustang?" Christy asked moving the curtains and peeking outside.

"Mustang?" Ed asked, looking up from his hands, "We're going to see the General... your papers say that he was just a Colonel."

Christy turned around, "Well, he was, but at the end of your series, the power of state went to the Generals. Mustang wanted to be at the top, so I am assuming that he is the one that we are going to talk to... especially if it's Riza that is showing us to him. They are not so secret lovers."

Tonia nodded, then grabbed her pen and paper. They figured that notes were easier to read than lips. What if we were to visit Rose Thompson or the Rockbells'?

"Who are they?" Ed asked reading the paper.

"Well, Rose is a girl that you helped out and later she _kinda_ turned into one of your lovers... kinda... I don't know why we would visit her though. I really just don't like her or her story line," Christy said irritated. "The Rockbells' are a family that was really close to your family, you guys were neighbors and when your mom died, they helped you and your brother out. They were the ones that you turned to when you needed help."

_My Mom died here too? _Ed's eyes widened. "So..." Ed paused, trying to find the words, "The decision is mine to make?" Tonia smiled and nodded, patting the dog as he dropped the little red ball in front of her. Christy nodded and said, "This is your world, not mine, of course the decision is yours."

Ed looked up, determination burning, "We are going to the Rockbells' then."

Riza returned shortly after the decision was made, she had three rather large bags that were full to the brim with clothes. Each kid took a bag and went to change. Ed ended up wearing a black T-shirt with a gray sweatshirt and cargo pants. Tonia wore a gray vest with a long white shirt that went to her palms and dark blue pants. Christy had a white T-shirt, a blue cardigan and black pants. When they had changed, Riza took them to see the General.

"When you enter, you are to salute him, do you understand? You are also not to talk unless you are spoken to. You are to treat the General with great respect, understood?" Riza was talking as we walked through Central Head Quarters. It was bigger than it looked on T.V. Christy noted as they passed various soldiers that she almost recognized. At one point they passed Bloch and Ross and Christy had to resist giggling. She was like a kid in a candy store. So much to take in.

At the end of the hall, there were offices. Entering one, Riza told the girls to sit and wait for Ed and her, they will only be a minute. Christy sighed and sat down.

Tonia was still at her game of catch with the dog and Christy let herself lose herself in her thoughts as she watched them play. _Why are we here... I understand Edward... but what about Tonia and I? And... What did I lose?_ Black Hayate barked and trotted back to Tonia. _I mean Tonia lost her voice and Ed doesn't really count 'cos be belongs here... but what about me? _Behind the door, Christy could hear laughter, _What was going on in there?_

"Mustang seems to be having a good time in there, don't you think Fuery?"

Christy looked over at the people occupying the desks, she hadn't really been paying attention once she sat down...

"Yeah, I guess... Who's in there with him, you think?" A little man with dark hair and glasses asked... Fuery! Christy thought, recognition smacking her in the face.

Havoc looked at the girls then at the door. "Don't know, some kid?"

"He looked like Edward Elric, when he was a kid, you remember?" Breda said eating something.

"I agree, but that wouldn't be possible, would it?" Falman said writing something.

It was silent after that except the bouncing of a ball and the padding of dog feet. All of the sudden, Tonia stood up. She went to Havoc's desk. Astounded by the girl, he pushed back and let her pass. She had a freaky blank stare when she grabbed a nearby pen and started to scribble on Havoc's desk!

"Hey! What the hell do you think you are doing?" Havoc yelled, pushing her back. Tonia stumbled back a little, hand still moving, she shifted back to her original place. Fuery placing a paper before she could get back to the destruction of the desk.

"What the hell?" Havoc said leaning in to the picture.

"It's a man!" Fuery said pushing his glasses closer to his face.

Christy got up and mad her way to the desk. Tonia didn't seem to be looking at anything and Black Hayate had cowered under the desk.

The figure of a man was slowly becoming clear. He had shoulder length messy hair, small eyes and a long handsome face. Tonia's hand started to spaz and she started to cry. Her mouth opened as if she were screaming, but no sound was coming out. She grabbed her head and fell to her knees. The crowd rushed closer to her, but she didn't stop, she kept trying to say something, but nothing. Then she just stopped, passing out.

"What... just... happened?" Breda asked, looking at the others.

Ed looked at the man. He had to admit that he looked like he should be in power. He had an eye patch, but other than that, he seemed perfectly healthy, He wasn't old, but wasn't young either, late 30's at the most. There were other generals, Ed had seen that during his trek down the hall, but it was clear that he was the head honcho.

When Riza had said his name, Mustang lifted his head from his paperwork. When his eye met Ed's, he gasped, then frowned, but there was still happiness present. It was clear that Mustang had known the former Ed too...

"So I take it you and your brother did not succeed in closing the gate on the other side, Full Metal?" Mustang's hands held his head as he looked at him. Edward gave him a weird look then Riza started talking, "This doesn't seem to be the same Edward, sir. He doesn't remember this place."

Mustang's eye became confused instead of happy, "Who is this then?"

"Edward Elric," Ed said stepping forward. "I don't know how me and my friends got here, but I ask that you get us back home, please!"

Mustang started to laugh, "Sure doesn't sound like something Edward would say!"

Ed scowled and took another step, "Look, I don't care that you are a General or whatever! All I care about is helping Alphonse and going back home! Now help me please! I wouldn't ask if I didn't need your help."

Mustang stopped laughing, but his smile never left his face, "There now! _That_ sounded like something Ed would say to me..."

A/N:: *gasping for air* There you go, RenofAmestris, I made it extra long for you. .'' Thank you for Reviewing! It inspires me to continue 3.


	15. Chapter 15: Picture

A/N:: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist but I do own my characters. Please read and Review!

Chapter Fifteen: The Picture

Ed shifted from foot to foot. What was the deal withthis Mustang character... "So you'll help me then?" Mustang nodded then leaned back in his chair. _You will regret this. _A small part of Ed's subconscious rang out defiantly. "For what cost?"

Mustang shrugged, "Don't know yet. I will tell you when I think of something."  
Ed rolled his eyes and turned to leave, "Wait! Ed..."

Ed looked behind him, Mustang had risen from his seat and had both of his hands on his desk. "I will help you no, matter the cost. I owe you that much..."

Ed looked at his feet, W_hy does he owe me? What did I do in this other world?_

_ KNOCK KNOCK_

"Enter!" Mustang said sitting back down.

A small man with glasses timidly stepped in. "Sorry to interrupt, Sir, but there is a situation that I think you should take a look at."

Mustang sighed and stood up and walked to the door, "This seriously better be important enough to pull me out of my meeting."

"It's that girl, she started acting weird then she passed out. I think that you should see what she drew though..." A tall man with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth stated walking to the general with a sheet of paper. Ed barely glanced at it before he ran over to Tonia's slumped form. "Is she going to be okay?" He asked Riza, worriedly...

"I'm sure that she'll be fine," Riza answered, but she didn't look as reassured as she sounded. Christy was squatting over her fallen friend and looking back and forth between different people of the military. "What's wrong with her? Somebody do something!"

"Havoc, pick her up. Lets get her to a hospital or something," Mustang said, taking control of the situation. Ed shifted his weight between his feet, unsure of what he should be doing, but felt like there was something that needed to get done. The man with the cigarette lifted Tonia up on his shoulders and started walking to the exit. Ed started to follow the man called Havoc when Mustang called him over. His gaze drifted from his friends to the general, "I want to go with her... I have to make sure that she is okay."

"Don't worry, you are going with her... I was just curious as if you have ever seen this man?" And Mustang held up the picture that Havoc had handed him. Ed glanced at it for a second than looked back up at the older man. "Never." Then he ran to catch up with Christy.

Mustang looked at the picture, "Where could that girl have seen this man?" Riza looked slightly alarmed at the picture... "I found them sir... they were on the street. They could have met him anywhere... They were lucky to escape with their lives."

"I don't think Ed was lying..."

"What do you mean, Sir?" Fuery asked looking between the drawing and a wanted poster.

Mustang glanced at the the glassy-eyed- man. "I have a feeling... about that girl... about all of those kids."

Riza nodded and gathered her dog and coat.

Ed leaned his head against the wall. The doctors couldn't find anything wrong with Tonia physically, but they said that they would keep her overnight to make sure that everything was okay. Christy was rolled up on the bed next to Tonia and was sleeping almost soundlessly. Tonia, on the other hand, was groaning and gasping for no apparent reason. Ed was too worried to sleep. Plus, seeing his friend like this made him think of Alphonse... He seemed to get farther and farther away from him... The subtle beeping of the heart monitor was making this white noise in Ed's ears, lulling him slowly to sleep.

The sharp intake of air woke him from his near-sleep daze. Tonia's eyes were opened, and she was looking around frantically. "Don't worry, you are at the hospital..." Ed reassured, standing up from his seat near the door. Tonia's eyes met his and she sighed. Christy stirred slightly and then repositioned herself. _She's asleep? _Tonia asked looking at Christy. Ed nodded, "She hasn't left your side."

_"Now the dark begins to rise, save your breath it's far from over. Leave the lost and dead behind. Now's your chance to run for cover..." _Ed and Tonia jumped as Ed's cell started to sing. Ed reached into his pocket, pulling out the little black phone. He flipped it open, "Hello?"

_"Ed? Where the hell are you? Dad and I have been trying to reach you all day!" _Will's voice was strong and worried. His voice also sounded like it was coming though a tape of some sort, slightly distorted, but still legible .

Ed looked over at Tonia, "Ames-" Ed froze, remembering what Al's paper had warned, Don't tell William, could turn out badly. "-With a friend, she's sick."

Will sighed on the other line, _"Thank God, you are okay... we were worried you know, you could have called one of us." _Ed nodded, then remembered that Will couldn't see him, "I'm sorry, I'll come home as soon as possible, but there is still things that need to get done over here."

_"Did you get a hold of him?" _Another person on the other line asked. _"Yeah, he's with a friend, he said that he'll come home as soon as possible."_ That time it was William. _He must be talking to Dad, _Ed thought moving the phone to his other ear.

_"Let me see that, Ed?"_

"Yeah?"

_"Oh, thank God, I thought you had run away or something..."_

"Thanks Dad..."

_"Well, you have been acting strange lately... When will you come home?"_

"I don't know yet... I have to find something first..."

_"Okay... And Ed?"_

"Yeah Dad?"

_ "I love you."_

Ed blushed and looked at Tonia who was looking at him intently. He turned around and whispered, "Love you too." Ed flicked his phone closed, then turned back around.

"It was my family... they are worried about me," Ed said almost absentmindedly. Tonia smiled and mouthed, _as they should be._ Then her eyes widened, as if remembering something forgotten, _Alphonse!_

Ed looked at her, "What about him?"

_ He was telling me something... I can't remember... a man? _Tonia rubbed her temples in frustration.

"The man you drew?" Ed asked pulling a chair up to her bed. _I drew a man?_ Tonia asked. "Yeah, don't you remember? You passed out and we brought you here..." Ed insisted.

Tonia shook her head, _I was playing with Black Hayate, then nothing._

A knock brought the two out of their conversation.

"Don't mean to intrude," Mustang said, walking in. He was alone, his usual posy was gone or waiting outside. He pulled the picture, that had been placed in plastic, out of his pocket. "I heard that you were awake. I wanted to know where you had seen this man before."

Tonia looked at it and shrugged. Ed stood up, "She doesn't even remember drawing it. You asked me the same question... Who is he?"

Mustang's entrance, or perhaps his voice, had woken Christy up, she was sitting up, rubbing her eyes. Mustang cleared his voice and answered, "He is a mass serial killer that has escaped the military numerous times. He is almost as dangerous as the former fugitive Scar."

A/N:: The song on Ed's phone is I Will Not Bow, by Breaking Benjamin.


	16. Chapter 16: Plan

A/N:: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist but I do own my characters. Please read and Review!

Chapter Sixteen: The Plan 

"What? Scar?" Christy asked, straightening herself.

"Yes and no. He calls himself Leonitus and all of his victims bear a burn mark of a lion. He takes people, mainly children, and hides them... then he posts us their locations. They are found, mutilated and drained... if we didn't already know who the victim was... " Mustang was looking at the picture disgustingly.

_The Warehouse! _Tonia shot her hands to her mouth. Mustang glanced at her, then turned to Ed. "I had to ask... If you had seen this man, then you could help us get one step closer to finding this bastard." He turned to Christy, "Have you seen him?" She shook her head slightly. Tonia nodded, she was trying to say something, but it was too fast for Edward. She continued "talking" for about an entire minute, stopped and looked at the others' confused faces.

"Tonia, even if you could talk... I don't think that we would have been able to understand what you just said..." Christy said leaning away from her friend. Tonia made the writing motion and Mustang pulled out a pad and a pencil. Tonia grabbed it and scribbled vigorously. Christy leaned over and her eyes widened.

"What?" Ed and Mustang asked at the same time.

_There is this Warehouse... I saw it... Alphonse showed it to me! He said that that was the way to get him back... "The man has the Answers..." _She flipped the page, _ I don't know what he meant... but he wasn't in his armor... he was in the flesh and I think that he was telling me more things... but I can't remember... I remember being in a door with some kind of transmutation circle... "Lets let the Dogs find you now..." You were there Mustang! It was cold... I think that he might be the way back home... or he might know how to get us back home... or maybe Alphonse knows the way home and he wants us to stop this man... I don't know... Maybe this man knows where Alphonse is... I _Christy grabbed hold of Tonia's hand. "You don't make any sense hon-"

_ "_Where did you see this, girl?" Mustang took his pad back. Tonia looked at his onyx eyes and mouthed, _I don't know..._

That morning, the doctors decided that nothing was wrong with Tonia, so she was free to go home. Ed pulled the girls aside while Riza pulled up her car, "I think that we shouldgo to that Rockbell house... you know, the ones that we were talking about yesterday?" Christy looked at Tonia, "But that's like a whole day's train ride..."

Ed sighed, "So? Better now than never! That way Riza won't have to drive us very far... I can see the train station from here!" Christy looked back at her friend... "Alright... but you're telling Hawkeye."

"What about Hawkeye?" Mustang was standing right behind the trio. Ed and Christy jumped. Tonia smiled and waved. Mustang nodded and looked at the other two, "Well?"

"We were just wanting to go to Resembol..." Christy said, hands held up defensively. Mustang laughed, "Time repeats itself..."

"Well, good luck kids...oh!" He reached into his inner pocket. "I think that this will come in helpful..." It was the pad of paper and pencil that Tonia had used before. Tonia smiled and took it, _Thank you, Sir._ Mustang smiled and went on his way as Riza pulled her car up to the curb.

"Rip it like a band-aid," Ed muttered as he walked to the driver window.

"That went better than I expected," Christy said, pushing her bags on to the train compartments. Tonia was swinging her legs back and forth in the seat. She was humming something, but Ed didn't recognize it.

"So who are the Rockbells exactly?" Ed asked, sitting next to the window. Christy sighed and said, "Well, Mister and Misses Rockbell were doctors during the Ishbal war. Unfortunately, they were murdered for helping the enemy... that was one of Mustang's greatest mistakes..." Surprised, Ed whispered, "He killed them?" Tonia nodded sadly, writing _He didn't want to, but it was orders... that's why he wanted to be in power, so he didn't have to follow orders like that anymore. _Christy "hmm-ed" in agreement. "But that is besides the point, the doctors' daughter, Winry, was one of you closest childhood friends, and her grandmother was like one to you and Al... especially after your mother died. Winry and Pinako are automail mechanics, meaning they make artificial limbs. They helped you on that part too. See you had lost an arm and a leg trying to..." She paused and Ed looked at her confused, "Well, you tried to bring your mother back from the dead... Alphonse lost his body and you lost your left leg... in an attempt to bring him back, you sacrificed your right arm. You attached his soul to a suit of armor and you got automail..." Ed was staring at the dark haired girl intently, "And did we bring her back?"

Tonia shook her head, _no._

Ed was crestfallen... _that means that I can't bring back Al either..._

It was silent for a while, the train's chugging along was drowning out the voices of the other people in the cart. Tonia shifted so that she was laying on Christy's lap. Soon she was out like a light.

"Edward Elric?" Ed turned around, surprised to hear his name coming from an unfamiliar voice. It was a teenaged boy that was a little taller than Ed. He had a green hat, covering much of the top of his head, but you could still see the bright blonde hair escaping from the bottom. Ed's gold eyes scrutinized the boy's bright blues. "Who are you?"

The boy shifted uncomfortably, "Ed... It's me, Fletcher... Fletcher Tringum? You helped me and my brother a few years ago..." Ed shook his head, "Sorry, you must have me confused for someone else..."

Christy gasped, "You can't be! You're so big!"

"Do I know you?" Fletcher asked, looking at Christy. "No... but I know you! You impersonated Ed and Al in Xenotime... isn't that right?" Fletcher blushed and looked at Ed, "Yes... I am still sorry about that..."

Tonia turned in her sleep. "I don't mean to intrude... I thought that you were someone I used to know... are you a relative of him or something...? You look an awful lot like him... you could be his twin..."

Christy laughed uneasily, "Yeah... He gets that a lot... Do you want to join us?" She pointed to the seat next to Ed. Fletcher laughed and shook his head, "No, it's okay... besides, this is my stop and my brother is probably looking for me. Good to see you... er, meet you... er... whatever... see you around?"

Christy nodded and Ed followed suit.

Fletcher left the train as Tonia rubbed her eyes. The jerking of the train getting started must have pulled her out of her slumber.

"You'll never guess who was just on the train with us..."

The red head looked at the other girl, disoriented.

"Fletcher..."

Tonia jumped up and ran to the window, shoving it open and leaning out it. She jumped up and down quite excitedly and was waving, presumably at Fletcher. When the train had left the station, Tonia sat down. A sad look was on her face, she sniffled and pushed Christy, _Why didn't you wake me up?_

Christy laughed, "He's gotten quite good looking... too bad you missed it!"

Tonia pushed her friend and moved next to Ed. _Jerk._

It was night by the time that the kids finally got to Resembol. It was quiet and you could hear crickets sounding all around. Ed looked at the town with a sense of longing. _I have been here before... _Tonia turned to Ed, _Now what?_

Christy dropped the bags on the ground, "Ed! Carry your own bags!"

He ignored her and started walking forward... "I know this place... my dreams..." Christy sighed and walked over to Ed. "This used to be your home town... it's no surprise that you remember this... Now come over here and pick up your bags... you can't just let the girls carry all the heavy stuff."

Ed nodded and picked up his bag.

It was a little bit of a walk to the Rockbell house, and it was weird, but Ed seemed to know where he was going. They walked over this large bridge... past some farms... then there was a tree that looked like it had been burned... there were ruins at the bottom of the tree, but you could hardly see them anymore. They had been covered by grass. Ed stopped at the site. "This used to be our house... didn't it..." Tonia nodded and looked around, she didn't want to look at the sad plot of land anymore. Christy got slightly impatient and told Ed that they had better hurry up.

Ed dipped his head, "Right."

Knock! Knock!

Ed was uncomfortable. He knew that there was something wrong with him just showing up to this family's house in the middle of the night... Tonia was sitting on the stairs, kicking her legs... Christy was leaning against the railing to the house. It was getting colder. From the inside of the house, a dog's barking could be heard. There was some clattering and then, "Hello? Who's there...?" The door way revealed a young woman with long blonde hair, she looked like she had just been sleeping. Her face had a black smear across it and her eyes were partially closed.

"Uh... I was... um..." Crap... Ed hadn't thought of what he would say when he actually met up with these people.

"What? Speak- Ed?" The woman's eyes widened. She took a step back and a black and white streak tackled the boy. The dog was happily lapping Ed's face, not giving him the opportunity to talk.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but could we explain when we're out of the cold... It will make more sense, I promise," Christy called over the yapping of the dog.

The blonde woman nodded and called over her shoulder, "GRANDMA! I think you should see this!"

A/N:: Did you ever notice that Pinako never seems to die? She's like 100 through the entire series...


	17. Chapter 17: House

A/N:: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist but I do own my characters. Please read and Review!

Chapter Seventeen: The House

Winry ushers the kids inside, closing and locking the door behind them. Pinako is walking down the stairs as they take a seat on the couch. Winry doesn't stop looking at Ed, as she pulls out a chair to watch the three of them. Pinako gasps quietly and sits on the bottom stair.

Ed watches the family with a slightly guilty look. Tonia looks at Ed sadly, wishing she could do something or say something that would make him less... she wasn't sure... sad? Nothing ever worked out for Ed... not really. He had one hard road after another, and now... Alphonse... She bent her head to keep from crying. She would fix him... she had to fix this.

Nothing is said for a while, then Ed coughs and says, "Thank you for getting us out of the cold."

It seems like the most innocent of comments, but both Winry and Pinako burst out into tears. "Where have you been Ed? We have been waiting for you for almost six years! And when you come back you left so suddenly! I want an explanation, not an excuse," Winry is practically in pieces at this point. Tonia opened her mouth to defend Ed, but then remembered she couldn't... Christy jumped in, "This isn't the Edward that you used to know... we don't know how it happened, but... we are from a different place entirely... this Ed is just a lookalike... though, I think that there may be something special about this reincarnation..." Christy started to move her hands in the way that she did when she was trying to explain something that she found embarrassing or hard to explain. She was all over the place.

Ed stopped her with his hand, "I can talk for myself." Christy stopped mid-sentence and put her hands on her lap. "Listen, I don't know why, but I was sent here to bring back my brother. I recognize you from my dreams, but that is the extent of our relationship at this point. I also understand that the other me had gotten help from your family in the past. Is this right?"

Winry covered her hands over her mouth, jumped up, and ran out of the room, crying. Pinako stood up and walked over to a drawer, pulling out a pipe, "If you are not Ed, than how did you know to come here?"

Ed shook his head, "Tonia suggested it."

Tonia jumped at the mention of her name. Pinako looked at the smallish girl, "How did you know then?"

Tonia shook her head and pointed to her mouth.

"She's a mute," Christy translated.

Tonia pulled out her pad of paper and started scribbling insanely. _You made automail for Ed when he lost his arm and leg. You also would trust that the brothers would come home, that they would come back to you, that's why we came here. You have helped him before... and now we implore your help again._ She ripped it off and handed it to the old woman.

Pinako's beady little eyes stared at the words and then looked back up at the redhead. "I don't know how you know all that... but you're right. I will help you in the best way I can."

Tonia smiled and looked at the others. Christy was fiddling with her shirt hem and Ed was looking at Pinako with an almost pained expression.

"Well its late and I have a lot of work to do tomorrow," The old woman said rising. "I still have Ed's old room upstairs... I could pull out extra sheets. Follow me." Ed did as he was instructed and followed the short lady up the stairs. The girls followed quietly. This was awkward. As he walked past a door that must have belonged to the taller Blonde woman, he could hear her crying and the pain in his heart seemed to stab him even more. He didn't know what it was about this house, but it made him think of the most painful of memories and the saddest of thoughts. He wanted to leave, but he also wanted to find out why the house had that effect on him. Or maybe it wasn't the house... maybe it was the family... The Rockbells. Ed decided that he didn't want to think about it anymore, so he started listing off different elements. Helium, Hydrogen, Lithium, Beryllium, Boron, Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Florine, Neon, Sodium, Magnesium... What was he doing? He didn't even like Chemistry! What was this place doing to him? He shook his head as Tonia put her hand on his shoulder. He turned his gaze to her, she looked worried and mouthed, _you alright?_ Ed paused, then nodded, deciding that it was best if he not worry the girl. She had enough on her plate already.

A/N:: Sorry that this is so short... I have to work on my psychology paper, but I wanted to update, so yeah... the next chapter should be longer...


	18. Chapter 18: Hate

A/N:: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist but I do own my characters. Please read and Review!

Chapter Eighteen: The Hate

Christy watched as a silent exchange passed between Ed and Tonia. They were getting close and she was getting jealous. She was the one that noticed Ed first. She was the one that wanted to know him. Tonia would have ignored him if it wasn't for her, and now... Christy clenched her fists. They passed Winry's room and a smile crawled across Christy's face. She had never really liked Winry, she was always whining and being mean to Ed. She may have loved him, but he didn't love her more than he would a sister. She had written tons of fan-fictions with her and Ed ending up together. She had made him her ideal man. When he had come to her school, she thought that he was the answer to all of her dreams. She wanted him. Christy wanted to have Ed all to herself. But Tonia... she was getting in the way. Christy had watched Ed, watched the way that he would look at Tonia, as if she was a rare gem and he didn't want to break her.

Tonia was becoming the damsel in distress, always having some kind of episode... And Ed would eat it up. She loved Tonia... but each day, she was becoming more and more spiteful of her. She would hide it though, not wanting Ed to find out. She couldn't have him hating her.

"You girls can share Al's old bed. It's bigger than Ed's." Pinako's words brought Christy out of her hate filled thoughts.

Tonia nodded gratefully and went to sit down, taking off her shoes.

"I'll wake you three up in the morning, good night." Pinako left without a second glance. Christy put her bag down on the end of the bed and looked at Edward. He was tired looking, yet at the same time, he looked like he had about a thousand different things rushing through his mind. Now was the time...

"Ed, can I talk to you for a moment, out in the hall?" Christy asked once Pinako's footsteps had died.

Ed looked up, started, "Uh, sure..."

Tonia looked at her best friend, bewildered. _Is it a secret?_ Her gaze asked Christy. Christy pretended not to notice.

Once she had Ed alone she started talking in hushed tones, "I think we should leave Tonia here."

"What?" Ed asked not as quietly. Christy put her finger to her lips impatiently.

"Shh!"

"Why would you say something like that?" It wasn't a yelp like it was before, but it was louder than Christy would have preferred.

"She's sick... or something. She has been acting weird ever since we got here and you know it. All these weird... episodes. She could put us in danger. We have to think rationally. She would be safe here," Christy had been preparing these excuses the whole train ride. It was all true and it was a reasonable argument.

If you were anyone but Ed. "No. She has never been a burden... plus what if we find the way home and because she's here, we leave her behind?"

Christy bit her lip... "She was in the hospital, Ed..."

Ed shook his head, "I don't feel right leaving her. She's your best friend, I understand that you are just trying to protect her, but I don't think that leaving her here is the smartest idea!" He didn't want Tonia to be away from him... Christy was right.

"What if she gets herself killed?" Christy asked, knowing that she wasn't going to win the argument.

"We all could get ourselves killed. That's life." With that Ed opened the door and walked back to his bed. Tonia seemed to have taken their conversation time to slip into some kind of night clothes. She was sitting on Al's bed in a white nightgown and had her pad in front of her. She seemed to be drawing. She looked up at Christy and smiled, _Hey!_

Christy felt a slight pang of guilt, but brushed it off.

Ed sat on his bed, watching Christy. Her argument was a reasonable one... Tonia had been acting weird ever since they had landed in this strange land. Her "episodes" as Christy put it, were something to worry about. It was scary, Ed wasn't going to deny it. But Ed had the feeling that Tonia would lead him to his little brother... Christy... she seemed... Ed didn't know... like baggage. She was the one that didn't need to come along... Ed hated that he felt that way, but it was true. What had she done to help get to Al? Nothing. Tonia had suggested that they go to the Rockbell house... Tonia was the one that was always trying to protect him... Tonia...

When ever he looked at her, he felt like he owed her... she had lost her voice because of him... She was so small, he was scared that she would break. He wanted to protect her. He didn't want to admit that it would be difficult to leave her behind... but it would be. He shook his head, it didn't matter, they both were coming, they would all leave together.

Al's paper had said follow the girls... so he would. Both of them.

"Ed?" Ed jumped. It was dark and he assumed that he had fallen asleep. The blonde woman was standing over his bed. She looked sad and tired. "Is it really not you? You look... you sound... "

Ed sat up, his loose hair falling around his shoulders. The woman was in her night clothes and her hair seemed more messed up than it had earlier.

"Sorry..."

The woman's eyes were brimming with tears, "I never got to tell you, you know?" Ed watched as the woman sat down on the side of his bed, she wasn't facing him, but the wall, "You would always leave before I got the courage to tell you. It's been four years... I have to tell you."

One of the girls turned over in their sleep and moaned quietly.

"I don't understand..." Ed started, but the woman's mouth colliding with his stopped his train of thought. She had twisted her body towards Ed's and was kissing him tenderly. Surprised, Ed didn't do anything. The woman's tears were splashing onto Ed's cheek and her lips tasted like a mixture of salt and metal. It wasn't unpleasant, Ed decided. The woman pulled back, her hand still on his cheek. She had stopped crying, though the memory of the tears still laced her pale face.

"I had to do that... at least once... before you left again..." the woman looked back up at Ed with a slightly defeated look. She brushed the tear on Ed's face and stood up. Leaving Ed with the feeling that he was doing something horribly wrong.

"Wait..." Ed whispered, the remnants of the kiss making his lips soft. The woman stopped, but didn't turn around. "You loved him... didn't you."

She nodded, "I don't think that he loved me back... He always had somewhere else to be... always left me and Grandma alone... I loved him and hated him, if that's possible."

Ed watched her for a moment then said, "I think that he was trying to protect you. Didn't he do awfully dangerous things?" The blonde nodded. "That's it then... You are why I feel guilty."

The woman turned around quickly, "What?"

"When I entered this house..." Ed explained, "I felt this overwhelming sense of guilt. Like I had done something... or didn't do something... that caused your family pain. I think that he wanted to tell you too... I think that he loved you."

The woman had one hand over her mouth and the other over her heart. She was crying again, but it seemed less bitter. They were happy tears...

A/N:: I have only seen like five brotherhood episodes, so Christy's talking about the original... Sneaked some EdWin in there didn't I? It isn't too creepy to have a 21 year old kissing a 16-17 year old is it? Nah.


	19. Chapter 19: Clue

A/N:: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist but I do own my characters. Please read and Review!

Chapter Nineteen: The Clue

Roy Mustang paced back and forth in the library, a book in hand. It was one of Ed's old journals... his take on his journey, right up to the death of Alphonse. He had written so many things before he had left.

Roy figured that if there was anyway to help this other boy, then these books would help.

He had already gone through many of Ed's other volumes, but he had found nothing that seemed important enough to report back to the younger Edward. Mustang flipped the page, nervously biting his thumb nail. There had to be something...

"Sir?" Roy jumped and turned around, Riza was standing behind him with a cup of something steaming. "Didn't mean to scare you sir, I was just wondering if you wanted any tea."

Roy nodded, "Thank you Colonel. You can set it down there." Riza nodded and set the glass down, she stood there for a moment and watched Roy. He could feel her eyes on him so he turned around, putting his book down. "Is there anything else, Colonel?"

Riza shook her head, "No, General..." She paused and looked at the book in Roy's hands, "You shouldn't worry about those kids... they can take care of themselves... Maybe that last thought will help you research with an easy heart."

Roy looked at Riza with a relaxed look, "You... You're right... thanks." Roy put down the book and picked up the cup of still warm tea.

Ed picked at the remains of the eggs on his plate, trying to get the last bits of food. He was so hungry... he had eaten on the train ride here, but it was still train food, hardly enough to feed the girls and when Tonia had looked at his plate of dumplings, he couldn't help but share with her. He looked at the other plates... mostly full... he would have to wait until the others had finished eating... but he was hungry now! Stupid table manners...

"Wow, it's hard to tell that you are a different Ed... besides the fact that you seem to have some manners..." Pinako said glancing at Ed's empty plate. Ed had asked the girls what the two woman's names were. Partially because it felt weird that they knew him and he didn't know them, but mostly he wanted to know who the woman who kissed him was.

"And yet he still doesn't touch his milk," Winry said smiling, she was definitely less depressed than she was last night. That, at least, made Ed feel better. Ever since the kiss, his heart didn't hurt as much when he looked at the walls, and that he was glad for.

"I don't like milk..." Ed muttered trying to catch the last escaping crumb.

All of the woman sitting around the table seemed to look at each other and burst out into fits of laughter. Like they were all sharing some kind of joke with each other...

"What? I don't, it tastes like vomit."

"You always say that!" Winry says holding her cup of milk, "You've never liked it!" She took a big swig, "MMMHHHH! Ah! You should try Ed, maybe you'll get taller..."

"I'm not short..."

"HAHAHAHAH!"

"_Now the dark begins to rise, save your breath it's far from over. Leave the lost and dead behind. Now's your chance to run for cover..."_ The entire table went silent as Ed's pocket started to emit dark rock. Ed pulled out his phone... it hardly ever went off and now it seemed to do it every day... "Hello?"

"_Take the train to the East. There is a man in a city just before the desert. He worked with the Hoenheim of this world. Tell him that you wish to know the "Truth of the Gate." He will lead you to finding how to atone for your sins." Click_

Ed held the phone to his ear, "Who... was that?"

"What is that? Is it a phone?" Winry asked leaning over the table to snatch the phone away from the dumbfounded Ed.

"Hey! Give that back!" Ed yelped as soon as he realized what happened, "You'll break it!"

"Oh! Let me take it apart! It's so small! PLEASE?" Winry asked, successfully playing keep-away with Ed.

"No! Please! That's the only way I can stay in contact with my world! Alphonse gave it to me! Give it back!" Ed yelped as he snatched it back. He held it close to his chest then looked up at Winry.

"Alphonse?" Winry asked, sitting down suddenly, "You said something about being here for your brother... what happened to Al?"

The table was silent again, waiting for Ed's response.

"He's in the hospital... in a coma..." that I put him in. Ed didn't want to say anything else.

"Oh my God, what happened?" Winry persisted. Ed hung his shoulders, "He got in an accident..." that I got him in. Guilt was picking at his heart, his throat ached. "Can we not talk about it?" He almost whispered. Winry frowned, but nodded, "Of course... I just hope that he's going to be okay..."

"He will, I'll make sure of that," Ed felt strength surge though him. That phone call was from Alphonse, he was sure of it. He was going to save his little brother, even if it killed him.

A/N:: Sorry that this chapter took so long to come out. I have been working on another story that you should check out, Subject: Elric. I really like that fanfiction, but I don't plan on ending this story prematurely. I pretty much have the rest of the story planed out, I just have yet to write it out. Thanks to all those who have stuck with me! You rock! Happy reading!


	20. Chapter 20: Truth

A/N:: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist but I do own my characters. Please read and Review!

Chapter Twenty: The Truth

"We're heading to the west. We don't have any money, so I was wondering if we could borrow some... that may be a lot to ask, but we have to get there..." Ed asked, bowing his head slightly.

He knew that he had to ask nicely, that he had to be patient with the answer... this family meant a lot to his other self, and he wasn't about to mess anything up. "Don't you still have all those military funds? The other you had a bank account... for your research?" Winry asked, leaning against some kind of machinery.

"We can't use it... Ed doesn't have his state military issued watch... he's not the same Ed..." Christy said, repacking some clothes.

"Watch?" Ed asked, his hand automatically reaching for his pocket, where he kept the old family watch.

"Yeah, that watch was how you proved that you were a state alchemist," Winry said, sighing sadly, "Too bad... I never got to see what made them tick..." Christy shook her head, "Gear head..." Ed reached into his pocket and pulled out the old worn watch, "Did it look like this?" Both girls turned suddenly and ran towards him.

"That's it!" "How did you get this?"

"Can I take it apart now? I will never get an opportunity like this again! Please Ed?"

"We don't have to worry about money now!"

"You were totally loaded Ed! Please let me take it apart!" Ed watched as the girls freaked out in front of him, "You cannot take it apart, and this thing has been passed down my family for a long time."

Winry had the hand that the watch was cradled in and was rubbing against her face. Ed managed to pull his hand away from the taller blonde woman and slipped the old watch back to its home in his pocket.

"It was Williams, it's not even really mine yet... how would this thing give us money... do I have to like turn it in or something, like a redeemable pink slip or something?" Ed asked looking at Christy, who seemed to know more about the watch then Winry.

Christy put her hands on her hips, "I don't think so... I think you just show it to the bank... the show never really showed how you got your money... "Her hands moved to her chin, "Lets see... you gave Bloch the watch and had him get the money to Shezka... So... maybe you have to state your name... or maybe each watch has some kind of identity marker... I don't know... but we should still try.

"Winry!" Winry perked up, surprised, "Wha?"

"Can you clean the watch up... make it look newer and less abused? All without taking it apart?" Christy asked, looking at her like she was older than Winry... Winry smiled, "I can make it look like it a brand new watch in no time!"

"Without taking it apart?"

Winry made an indignant face, "I don't have to take it apart to clean it..." Ed looked at the blonde, not trusting that she would just clean it, but after a second, he carefully pulled out the pocket watch and handed it to the young mechanic.

Tonia looked happily over the sandwiches that she had made. Each was cut into four slices and a little bit of peanut butter and jelly seeped out of the sides. Delicious, she mouthed. Pinako looked over her work and smiled the way that grandmothers smile. "You take pride in your sandwiches," Pinako commented as she helped Tonia put the food into cloth to save for later. I have a picky brother, Tonia grinned.

_**Don't follow the way of the brother. You have a more important task. Take the road to the left when you are meant to turn right. This is the way of the Gate. You were chosen specifically to do this Antonialee. You have become the ambassador of the Truth. You, who have lied your whole life, must find the man that defies the Truth. You must fulfill our plans for you and you may be spared.**_

What? Tonia turned around, searching for the unembodied voice. Pinako was quietly packing the sandwiches into a neat pile in a basket. Clearly she didn't hear the voices. She waited, seeing if the voice continued, but everything was silent. What did it mean? She grabbed Pinako's shoulder, getting her attention to ask her something when everything went white.

"What the... My voice! I can talk!" Tonia said to the emptiness. A figure appeared. It was but an outline of a person.

_**Antonialee.**_ It said with many voices, some children, some adults, others male, others female. It was like a chorus of voices singing Tonia's real name.

"Who are you?" Tonia asked in her newly found voice.

_**I am but the Truth. **_

The creature was sitting almost lazily. "I heard you before... What is the way of the gate... who is the man that defies truth?" Tonia asked, surprisingly bravely.

_**I am only meeting with you to get a message out to the future Al~che~mist. He has his own agenda and that needs to be handled.**_

"What? That doesn't make sense..."

_**It wouldn't to you.**_

Tonia looked at the creature. Looked behind her then looked back at the outline, "Well? What's the message... I kind of want to get out of here..."

_**You aren't going to tell him, I am talking through you. You are like the telephone, not actually talking, just passing on the message. Human's are too likely to forget or fudge the information.**_

"You talk as if you despise us."

_**I do. But you do seem to entertain me from time to time...**_

The creature smiled evilly. Tonia backed up, finding herself staring into the eyes of a bewildered Pinako and a scared looking Ed. Tonia blinked and looked around. She was back in the kitchen, the rest of the house's inhabitants were staring at Tonia like she had been possessed or something... which is probably what happened, she thought to herself.

What? She mouthed, hoping someone would fill her in on what she said. Ed shook his head, "You... you okay, Tonia...?" Fine, she mouthed.

"You totally just went all exorcist on Edward!" Christy said, walking towards her friend slowly.

What did I say? She asked urgently.

"I don't know... It didn't make any sense to me... but it was aimed at Ed. You screamed his name, started talking in some kind of weird language, then started talking about if he does what he was told, you three could leave. Don't you remember?" Winry asked, leaning against the counter, watching Tonia like an amused cat.

No... Tonia shook her head. Tonia turned her attention to Ed. He still had a horrified look on his face. What did I say to him? Tonia thought desperately.


	21. Chapter 21: Accident

A/N:: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist but I do own my characters. This chapter goes out to RenofAmestris, who listened to my crazy-plot-random-banter and helped me get though it. Some language, but it's not that bad, but correct me if you need to. SPOILER ALERT~ WATCH THE SERIES!Thanks. ^-^ Please read and Review!

Chapter Twenty-One: The Accident

Winry stared at the watch as if it would start singing a sweet love ballad to her, which, Ed was sure, she could probably make it do. Christy pulled her bags over her shoulder and started heading downstairs. "I can't wait to take it apart..." Ed sharply turned to Winry, his eyes widened in worry.

"EDWARD ELRIC!"

Ed jumped and ran down the stairs, he recognized the voice, but he didn't know where from. Skipping the last stair, he skid to a stop, pushing the kitchen door open. Tonia had Pinako in her grasp and was staring directly at Ed as though she could see through him. Christy gasped when Ed entered the room, "Tonia?" She asked slowly taking a step towards her. Tonia growled and took her right hand off of a scared looking Pinako. _"__You have to follow what has been told, Edward. All things are to be as it should and do not try to change the events that will occur. Your brother is the only part of why you are here. You are here because I have allowed you to be. Don't think that you are free to wander as you like. You will do as I will tell you or you will all die. I am not appeased, I am hungry and I demand to be satisfied. I do not want to have to talk to you again Edward._ If you do what I have asked, three may leave." Tonia blinked and stumbled back. Ed stared at the confused redhead. What the hell?

Ed shook his head, "You... you okay, Tonia...?"

Fine, she mouthed.

"You totally just went all exorcist on Edward!" Christy said, walking towards her friend slowly.

What did I say? Her mouth making the words her voice could not.

"I don't know... It didn't make any sense to me... but it was aimed at Ed. You screamed his name, started talking in some kind of weird language, then started talking about if he does what he was told, three could leave. Don't you remember?" Winry asked, leaning against the counter, watching Tonia like an amused cat.

Tonia shook her head. Ed could only stare at the girl, did she really not remember anything? All the things that she had said... She spoke! How... "Do you remember anything?" Ed asked, determined not to freak out.

A defeated look appeared on the young face. _No_... She mouthed.

Ed's heart was beating a mile a minute and he could hardly focus. He needed to get out of here. Grabbing his jacket from where it laid on the stairs, he bolted though the front door. Running... Running... He could feel the adrenaline coursing though his veins from the earlier incident and he was using it to fuel his speed. If he could get away, maybe he could think clearly... Al's face kept invading his thoughts... The beaten face, the torn face... it was his fault...

"NO!" Ed screamed at no one. He just kept running until he found a quiet area near a forest. With its steady cascading of creek water over boulders, Ed felt himself calm down. He stood at the water's edge and stared at his reflection accusingly. "Damn you..." He stomped the water's surface with his foot, turning his reflection into a ripple of gold, black, and peach. Letting his head fall back on his shoulders, he stared at the light blue sky. That voice... that dialect... it was the gate... Ed was sure of it... First with... He slammed his eyes shut. Damn...

"YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE REAL, DAMN IT! STAY AWAY FROM MY FAMILY!" Ed screamed at the air. He huffed for a few seconds before the rage built up in his chest, "YOU'RE THE ONE THAT TOOK HIM FROM ME DIDN'T YOU? IT WASN'T ME, IT WAS YOU! BASTARD!Just leave us alone... I...I.." His voice quieted, mostly because it hurt to scream as loudly as he wanted. His chest hurt, but not from the running or the screaming... it ached with longing. Longing to go home... Longing to be with his brother again...

Kneeling, he rested his head on his knees. "I just want to be with my brother..."

Al smiled, taking the basket ball from his older brother, "You suck."

"Shut up, just 'cos you're faster than me, doesn't mean I suck, it just means you're half monkey," Ed frowned, shuffling to catch up to his slightly taller younger brother.

"No... it means you suck," Al laughed, dribbling the ball between his legs, playing keep away from his brother. "And I would prefer cheetah. Monkeys are climbers, cheetahs are fast." Feigning a right, Al turned left and shot for the hoop. Ed cursed and ran to get the ball that flew straight through.

"Best three out of five?" Edward asked, dribbling the ball back to Alphonse.

"We can't... We have to get home, to unpack, remember?" Al asked. "_I want you boys home before the sun sets, understood? These boxes will not unpack themselves..._" A perfect imitation of their father's baritone voice made both of them laugh.

Picking up their jackets, water bottles, and ball, they headed for their new home. The new neighborhood was completely different than the old village that they used to play ball in. This one had a huge court and fields. Unlike their hometown, this one had trees everywhere, on the sidewalks, in front yards, throughout the fields, everywhere. That was the only thing that Ed liked about this place. It was noisy and there were people everywhere. No matter where he turned, there was always someone staring at him, gawking at him. He hated it, Alphonse, however, loved it here.

As if on cue, "I love this place, a change of scenery is just what we needed."

"Shut up, Al, this place is loud," Ed whined, giving a dirty look to some couple who were staring at him.

"So are you, you don't hear me complaining..." Al retorted, smiling at the same couple, demolishing his brother's cold effect.

"Yeah, well, aren't you just a pocket full of sunshine." Ed grumbled, kicking an innocent rock.

"Stop sulking, brother," The youngest of the two said, bouncing the ball every couple of feet. "It's not like this place is that horrible, it has trees, you like those don't you? The people seem nice enough..."

"I guess, but it's not home."

"It'll never be home without her... so lets just make due," Al countered, his smile faltering. A leaf floated down past them, the spring air turning their cheeks a bright pink. The walk back was quieter with that on the table. Ed's eyes glanced at the sky, a light blue, it reminded him of the country. As if on autopilot, The brothers just continued to walk to their new house. Ed stopped, turning his to his brother, "Listen Al, I'm sorry, but I'm leaving the minute that I'm legally allowed."

Alphonse stared at his older brother, not the oldest, but the most independent, "I figured..."

"I want you to come with me..." Ed took a moment to look into his brother's gray eyes.

"I figured that too..." Al smiled slyly.

"Alright, smart ass, forget it," Ed growled, turning on his heels.

Al sighed, "Listen! Ed, I know that you meant what you said... and I want you to know that I would love to come live with you where ever your adventures take you, but I have to take care of Dad and Will. They'll kill each other and you know that Will is not going to move out anytime soon... I have responsibilities... "

"You shouldn't have to..."

Shrugging, "Yeah, well... That's why you can go do what ever you want to your heart's desire... I love you, brother... "

Ed frowned, "It's not your job to tame the lions." A screech of tires brought both the boys out of their moment. Al's gray eyes darted to the black mustang that was swerving straight for the boys, then to his brother. Pushing him, the car squealed as it tried to stop. Al fell back, the car barely missing him. The driver, a young Asian man, jumped out of his car, "Holy crap! Are you boys okay? A squirrel darted out and then I- are you two okay?" The man looked like he was about to piss kittens, his obsidian eyes taking in both boy's conditions, assessing the damage.

"We're fine...I think... Ed?" Al called to his older brother, who was laying on the other side of the car that had crashed into the fence. He had this horrified look and he could barely hear his brother over the sound of his pulse in his ears. He lifted his hand to show he was fine, but he didn't trust himself to speak without sounding like a scared little girl... which is how he felt.

"Do you need me to call someone? I could drive you home or something... I feel like shit... Oh my God, Riza's not going to believe this..." The college student was shaking and holding his elbows, "I could have killed you two..."

"We're okay..." Ed finally managed, standing up, rubbing his rump.

Al smiled his "deactivate the problem" smile and said, "I don't think that we should drive home with you, especially since you almost crashed into us... But if you don't have anything to do this weekend, we're new to this town and we need help unpacking..."

"Of course! I'll help, here's my number, just call when you want me to come over!" The man hurried into his wallet and pulled out a small business card.

"Thanks, we'll give you a call..." Al said as Ed walked up behind him and read the card, _Roy Mustang- Assistant Director of Flame Studios_.*

"Okay... Are you sure you two don't need anything?" The brothers nodded. "Okay... Um... Goodbye?"

"Later," Ed muttered taking the card from his baby brother. He had seen that name before...

"You two were almost run over by a car?" Hoenheim asked, staring at his youngest boys in disbelief.

"Yeah, he gave us his card to help us unpack this weekend for the trauma he caused," Ed said holding the small paper for his father to see. "Seems legit."

William leaned against Ed's shoulder reading the card, "Flame studios? Isn't that some kind of music industry?" Ed nodded, "I think so..." To himself, _Maybe that's where I had heard his name..._

"Ed? You still awake?" Alphonse's voice whispered at Edward's door.

"Yeah, come 'n," Ed mumbled, not fully asleep, but not really awake. "Wha's up?"

"I had a... bad dream... can I stay in here 'til I fall asleep?" Al asked, sitting on the edge of his brother's voice. "Mmhhmm..." Ed answered, scooting over, allowing his little brother room on his bed. The youngest of the two curled into the sheets. This was not unusual... When their mother had died, Al started getting these horrendous nightmares that would wake up the entire house with his screaming. Ed and Al were close and they had grown up sleeping in the same bed, so Ed was perfectly fine allowing his scared brother access to his flannels.

Ed jerked a little when Al's cold feet brushed his now warm legs. "Wanna talk abou' it?" Ed asked, using friction to heat up his brother's toes.

It was quiet for a minute and Ed took that as a no until, "You died... You were fighting Will and he killed you... stabbed you through the chest..."

"I's jus' a dream... I'm fine..." Ed's face was burrowed deep within his pillow.

_**Edward Elric...**_

Ed's eyes shot open. He was standing in front of a huge door, or gateway... "Who's there?" He called, twisting and turning in the vast nothingness.

_**I am Truth... It is nice to see you again... **_

"Again?"

_**Again. This is not the first time you have come to visit.**_

__Ed twirled back towards the door. The voices seemed the loudest there. "What do you want?"

_**I like screwing with you.**_

"What?" Ed asked incredulously.

_**You and your brother escaped me... but I found you the moment your mother passed through.**_

Ed stared at the door, "We escaped? Found us?"

_**As we speak, you are beating your brother senseless... killing him even... He will be mine again. Tonight... He will be mine... MINE!**_

__The space that Ed was occupying flashed white and slowly the whimpers of his youngest brother started to echo in his ears.

He could feel strong arms pulling him back, screaming at him. Ed couldn't stop his fist as it smashed into his little brother's face, knocking him out. His body was moving by itself, but his mind was his own. Blood was all over the bed, walls, floor, and himself as well as Alphonse. Al was dangerously pale. "EDWARD! STOP!" His father hollered, trying to hold his crazed son's fists. "You're killing him!" Will yelled, holding the other arm.

Suddenly, control was granted. Ed froze mid-punch, tears spilling from his eyes... "Alphonse..." The boy lay silent underneath his brother's weight. "Al? Al wake up! Al!" Shaking the body under him, Ed screamed his little brother's name.

"Ed! Stop it!" Yanking the blonde off of the injured child, Hoenheim held Ed's fists in his own, his older, stronger hands easily over powering Ed's.

William picked up Alphonse's limp form, carrying him out of the room to the car. Hoenheim held Ed in place, "What the hell did you think you were doing? You could have killed him!"

"I-I..." Ed couldn't seem to form an explanation... "I want to go with him..."

"Oh, you are... but first I want you to tell me why you tried to kill your brother?" Hoenheim hardly ever rose is voice, but now it echoed in the boy's ears loud and clear.

"I don't know... it wasn't me... I wouldn't do that... I couldn't do that..." Ed's golden eyes were blurred by his tears.

Hoenheim pulled his son into his broad chest, Edward's sobbing filled his nightshirt.

Ed curled at the sudden memory. "Damn it..." He whispered into the cotton at his knees.

Standing abruptly, Ed walked to the creek, cupping his hands and splashing his face with the cool water. The water cascaded down his shoulders and shaped his blonde hair to the strong jawbone of his face. The cold cleared his thoughts.

"Ed!"

At the call of his name, he turned and saw Christy running to him, "Thought I'd find you here..." The girl's auburn hair was matted to her face from sweat. "Well, actually, when you weren't at the remains of your house or mother, I figured you'd be here..."

"You have me all figured out, do ya?" Ed asked, his pants slowly sucking up the water of the brook.

Christy gazed at him defensively, "No... I... Get out of the water, you'll catch a cold..."

"No."

Frowning, Christy crossed her arms, "What's wrong with you?"

Mimicking the girl, Ed crossed his arms, "Right now? You."

"Stop sulking..."

"What do you want from me, Christy?" Ed asked, his voice rising over the roar of the creek. "I can't just be the person that you have created... I am NOT the person in this T.V. Series... I just want to leave here... I want to go home with my brother," Ed knew that his words were cruel... Misery loves company. "I don't care about the people here, and honestly, I feel like a freak twenty-four seven here. People know me, but I haven't the foggiest clue who they are... they all have these preconceived notions of who I am... I keep being pulled left when I want to go right... Both you girls seem to just be an anchor to me finding my brother... If there was a way to keep you here and still get you two home, I would go for it... but there's not... so I'm stuck lugging you two around..."

Christy watched as Ed ranted, letting the dam break. After a minute or so of silence, "Is that all?"

"NO!" Ed growled, "One of us is going to die!" He regretted saying it the moment it passed his lips.

Christy's bright blue eyes glared at him, astonishment leaking it's way into her words, "One of us is going to die?"

Ed looked down at his angry reflection, "Yeah... 'Three may leave'... Three of us came here in search of a fourth... The Gate is going to let one of us die..."

"The Gate?" There was more worry in her voice at the mention of the black abomination than at the declaration that one of them was going to die.

"Yeah... pretty sure..."

"Damn it..." Ed jerked his head up at her foul language. "What?" He asked.

Christy cleared her throat, "Well... the Gate is a nasty thing... It demands equality, but takes more than it needs... it is a flawed concept in and of it's self. When you died, yeah you died in the series," Christy clarified at the sound of Ed's startled gasp. "the Gate put you on our side, our world. And at the end of the movie, both you and Al were on our side... It doesn't make mathematical sense, but also... at the end of the movie, it was suggested that you and Roy destroyed the Gate from both sides..."

"But they didn't."

Both teens jerked their heads towards the new voice. It was a male velvety voice and had an air of confidence to it. The person it belonged to was just as solid. He had dark black hair that curled around his shoulders. His dark purple eyes glared at the two kids like an bemused snake watching a couple of mice.

"Who the hell are you?" Ed called out, ready to defend if need be.

The young man smiled a sly smile, "Well... I'm called Lust... but that doesn't really mater. I am here to talk to the two of you specifically, my master demands it."

A/N:: I really like writing Alphonse... *I don't think that Flame Studios are a real music studio, but if they are, I don't own them... Gender swap Lust... YESH! Sorry that this took so long to get out... for a while I had no motivation to work at all... Meh~ T_T. But once I got the ball rolling, I was having trouble stopping it, that's why this chapter is so freaking long... sorry! So! Due to the fact that I don't have that much work to do! (That I care about.. :D) I am going to try to work on these babies more often... If you people ever want to just drop by and tell me how you think the story should go, you can leave me a note and I WILL get back to you, even if it's to say thanks. I found that it helps both the reader and writer to get some banter going (even if it's unintelligible- especially on my part. Lol) P.S. Can you tell the place where Ed is? It's in the series. Thanks for reading!


	22. Chapter 22: Lust

A/N:: I do not own FMA. Read and review.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Their Lust

"Lust?" Christy asked, watching the man with a curious expression. "Mmmhmm," The man said sliding down the rock's ledge. "But... the original Lust died... and was a woman... did Dante make you?"

"Mmmm... no," The well toned man answered, sauntering closer to the two. Christy glanced between the man that called himself Lust and Edward, they were watching each other like animals about to pounce, Ed with a fierce expression and Lust with a bemused expression.

"What do you want with us?" Ed asked, taking a daring step closer to the man. Lust smiled naughtily and took a dignified step forward, "I have been asked to keep tabs on the two of you... do you mind?" He smiled seductively and Ed frowned. "As a matter of fact, we do! Who sent you?"

The man's black hair bounced on his shoulders as he laughed heartily. "Even if I told you, you wouldn't know who I was talking about and if you did, you wouldn't want to listen to me... I don't want to hurt you... why would I? That's not what I am about..."

"Then what are you about?" Christy asked, inching towards Edward.

Lust smiled, "Guess, babe."

Christy's gut twisted at the comment, not because of what he said, but because of the _way_ he said it. He was indeed the personification of Lust...

Ed stared as Christy's face became red. "Stop that," Ed muttered at the man. "And answer me. Who sent you? I want to know."

The man inched forward, his hand placed thoughtfully on his chin. "Well... it couldn't hurt to tell you. Her name is Vergil."

Ed racked his brain, but sure enough, he didn't recognize the name. "And what does she want with us... or the information that you think you're going to give her?"

"Tisk Tisk... Haven't you heard of equivalent exchange? I can't just give you information without a little payment..." The man flashed his teeth and gave an evil look at the young blonde. He sprung forward and grabbed Ed's wrist. Before Christy had a chance to gasp, blood was dripping from his palm and Lust laughed. The pain was slightly delayed as he saw the crimson red liquid before he felt it. Wrestling to get free, Ed, pulled at his arm and pushed on Lust's grip. A pink tongue worked its way up Edward's wrist and palm, gathering the blood that was pooling around the wound. Ed's eyes widened with disgust and horror. "What the hell? Get off of me!" He struggled more, but was unable to break free from the creature's grasp.

"You humans taste good..." Lust said as he dug his own nails into his free hand until he bled too, not even flinching as blood trickled down his hand. Pressing both his and Ed's cuts together. The dark haired man smiled as Ed screamed, "GAHHH!" Slowly, the view of the forest and creek disappeared and everything melded into black, the pain easing.

Christy watched as Ed's body slacked into the muscular man, held up by Lust's grip. Christy ran forward, "Stop hurting him!"

As if remembering that she was there, Lust gazed at her, "Oh don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you, love." She froze, his voice doing more to her than she thought it could. Laying down the blonde boy, Christy found the creature on her in seconds. Licking her cheek, she flinched at his touch. "Don't!" Christy gasped.

"Don't worry, it will be over before you even know it..."

His still bleeding hand pushed against her face and pain shot through her entire being. She screamed, but Lust covered her mouth.

And then the darkness came.

A/N:: (insert overly excited "Awesome Face") Dante and Virgil... either I have been reading too many Greek and Roman stories or I play too much Devil May Cry...

Sorry that I haven't updated... I have no inspiration and I was in Puerto Rico for a class trip for a week and I didn't work at all for that time period... ALSO check out this cool new forum that was introduced to me, homeforapariah. proboards. com Get rid of the spaces and TADA! It's a FullMetal Alchemist rpg site where you are a soldier. You can decide if you are good or evil and a bunch of other cool things. You can share art and stories as well. At least look into it, cos I'm going to advertize it every chapter until we get a ton of new people.


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